Chamber and committees

In line with Professor Muir’s recommendation, His Majesty’s Inspectorate of Education in Scotland is to be staffed by civil servants.

The Chief Inspector, and staff working on the inspection functions (or supporting these) will be employed by the Scottish Government, in line with other HM inspector(ate)s.

Following the advice of the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI), which provides advice on immunisation to all four UK nations, for winter 2024, COVID-19 vaccination is being offered to the following groups in Scotland:

Residents in care homes for older adults

All adults aged 65 years and over

Individuals aged 6 months and over who are in a clinical at risk group (as defined in tables 3 and 4 in the COVID-19 chapter of the Green Book), including pregnant women

Frontline Health & Social Care Workers

Staff in care homes for older adults

The key change in eligibility this winter, compared to winter 2023, is that unpaid carers and household contacts of the immunosuppressed are no longer eligible for COVID-19 vaccination this winter, as per the advice of the JCVI.

The JCVI noted that they no longer advise COVID-19 vaccination for frontline health and social care workers and staff in care homes for older adults, but advised that health and social care service providers may wish to consider vaccination as an occupational health programme.

The Scottish Government made the decision to continue the offer of COVID-19 vaccination to frontline health and social care workers, and staff in care homes for older adults for winter 2024. We will begin to assess the need for any future offer for these two groups in early 2025.

The Scottish Government is aware that currently some individuals across NHS Lothian are experiencing difficulties disposing of their sharps waste.

While the provision of NHS pharmaceutical services is the responsibility of the Scottish Government, the responsibility for providing arrangements for individuals to safely dispose of prescribed needles and other associated sharps waste is the responsibility of local Health Boards. In NHS Lothian this is delivered by community pharmacies through a local enhanced service for prescribed medicines and sharps waste disposal.

The Scottish Government is in close contact with NHS Lothian, and the Board is actively working with their four Health and Social Care Partnerships and Community Pharmacy Lothian to address the situation.

Anyone who is not in one of the groups listed in the answer to S6W-32362 on 23 December 2024 is not eligible for COVID-19 vaccination this winter.

All answers to written Parliamentary Questions are available on the Parliament’s website, the search facility for which can be found at https://www.parliament.scot/chamber-and-committees/written-questions-and-answers

The Scottish Government recognises that primary and community care services should be developed to meet the needs of distinct localities, including those in our rural areas and islands. We have a range of levers to support rural and island areas, including Scotgem, golden hellos, rediscover the joy , a GP sustainability project, and our current work with NES to deliver GP fellowships and rural credentials. We also established the National Centre for Remote and Rural Health and Care to support health boards, HSCPS and individuals to improve capability in rural and island areas.

The Scottish Government estimates that the Employer National Insurance Contribution increase might cost between £520 and £580 million for directly employed public sector employees and a further £210 million for contracted out services and the third sector. For NHS contractors, including GPs, we estimate costs of £40 million.

If the chancellor does not fund that in full, it could be, that at best £380 million would be forthcoming; leaving a significant shortfall. We continue to press for clarification.

Since implementation of Best Start commenced in 2017 Scottish Government has provided over £30 million of funding to NHS Boards to support implementation of the Best Start recommendations.

We continue to provide funding for the ongoing delivery of neonatal intensive care and continuity of carer, and to NHS National Services Scotland for the Perinatal Network.

The ambitions set out in our Cancer Strategy 2023-2033 align with those of ‘The Collaborative and Compassionate Cancer Care - The Cancer Strategy for Children and Young People in Scotland 2021–2026’. This sets out Scottish Government’s commitment to improving services nationally for children and young people specifically. This is delivered by the Managed Service Network for Children and Young People with Cancer (MSN CYPC).

Children, young people and their guardians have the opportunity to engage and share their experiences of cancer services to inform improvements, and to support delivery of strategy ambitions, through the MSN’s National Youth Advisory and Parent and Family Forums.

From 2024-25, Scottish Government are dedicating over £2.5 million annually to support health and social care staff wellbeing. This funding provides our workforce with access to psychological interventions and therapies, self-service resources through the National Wellbeing Hub and the National Wellbeing Helpline delivered by NHS 24. Registered staff also have access to confidential mental health services through the Workforce Specialist Service (WSS).

These resources play a vital role in helping the workforce manage mental health challenges and maintain their wellbeing, thus enhancing the quality of care they can provide. We will continue collaborating with leaders across the NHS to identify and address areas of stress and to explore additional actions to support staff including physiotherapists.

Progress against all actions of the Collaborative and Compassionate Cancer Care The Cancer Strategy for Children and Young People in Scotland 2021–2026 continue to be taken forward by the Managed Service Network for Children and Young People with Cancer (MSN CYPC).

The 2023-2024 MSN CYPC Annual Report, which includes detail on progress across all actions, will be published shortly on the MSN CYPC website – www.msncypc.nhs.scot

The funding for Drugs and Alcohol in the 2025-26 draft budget is £80.9m. This includes £60m as part of our commitment to provide £250m in additional funding over 5 years to reduce drug deaths and improve the lives of people who use drugs and alcohol.

£19.1m has moved to baselined funding which Alcohol and Drug Partnerships (ADPs) have highlighted as important for sustainability and recruitment and a record total of £112 million funding for ADPs has been maintained for a third year.

We are also continuing to fund grassroots organisations through £13 million a year to the Corra Foundation and we’ll continue to invest in residential rehabilitation - with more than £10 million committed to increasing capacity and funded placements.

The National Mission annual report finance sections aim to provide greater transparency of National Mission funding, and provide a breakdown of funding. The reports for financial years 2021-22, 2022-23 and 2023-24 are available at:

National Mission on Drugs: annual report 2023-2024 - gov.scot (section 8.4)

National Mission on Drugs: annual report 2022-2023 - gov.scot (section 8.4)

National Mission on Drugs: annual report 2021-2022 - gov.scot (section 8.4)